The Straits Times -- Must strike a balance

Regarding Mr K. sebasan's comments on The Straits Times Forum that "Kids should strike a balance", I feel that this is quite impossible to change in a short period of time, and that it will be more of a long term issue rather than a short term one.

In our present day and age and especially so in the ASEAN countries, kids are getting more and more competitive with each passing minute. There has been a newspaper report recently saying that for Primary School students, they even have to stay back till about 4.30 or even 5pm each day in school, just for supplementary lessons. And even these supplementary lessons are compulsory, which has sparked the anger of many parents, complaining that the MOE should look into this issue and the fact that they are not even able to finish their curriculum in the normal school hours, and why they should waste more time on supplementary lessons

Well, this is just one example in Singapore. There are many other examples globally, especially when it has been stated in the news recently that we are ranked third in terms of our educational system, with Hong Kong ranked first and another ASEAN country in second place. With our stressful education system being ranked third, it is no wonder that the kids in ASEAN are getting more competitive. Not only in the ASEAN countries, but in America too, where tiger mums are made infamous. These examples are important in a sense that they show the competitiveness in the global world.

Singaporean kids already have the thought in their mind as the seeds were sowed early in their childhood that in everything, they must try to be first, especially in a competitive society like ours. Parents from generation to generation have instilled their children with a sense of "kiasuness" in Singaporean context. Note: Kiasuness means afraid to lose out. It is quite common to see adults rushing their children to tuition; quite common to see adults waiting at fast food restaurants just to wait for their children to finish tuition; and quite common to see adults willing to sacrifice their time to chauffeur their children around, from school to tuition centres.

It has been happening in society for such a long time that we see it as a norm, something that happens everyday and that we are used to observing it. With it being a norm, it is quite difficult to eradicate it just by saying "Kids should strike a balance" without even thinking of the time needed and effort needed in order for this to happen. For example an addiction is very hard to eradicate once you are hooked on to it and this process will take time and effort from the victim and those around him. Thus this analogy will then further explain how kids will not be able to get used to the fact that they should lead a wholistical lifestyle, striking a balance between academia and their freedom to explore their own realm.

Thus, with all the points that I have elaborated and the examples stated, it is evident that it is quite impossible that Singapore kids would be able to strike a balance, between academia and their aesthetics, which is to have time to think and explore their realm. It will require time, but who knows how long it will take? a few years? Probably until the next generation? Until then, what we can do is to just encourage ourselves as well as those around us that children need their childhood, as well as to cope with stress in life and strike a balance.